Glossary Spinal Terms

Monoclonal antibody therapy is a form of targeted treatment that uses lab-created antibodies that find and kill specific cancer cells. Physicians who treat cancer (oncologists) also use monoclonal antibody therapy to boost the immune system's ability to defend against cancer.

Something artificial that appears on a medical image but is not a part of the living tissue being examined. The image distortion could be due to an obstruction, such as a surgical metal clip, or a problem with the imaging equipment.

Benign tumors are those that stay in their primary location without invading other sites of the body. They do not spread to local structures or to distant parts of the body. Benign tumors tend to grow slowly and have distinct borders. Benign tumors are not usually problematic.

A biopsy is a procedure to remove a piece of tissue or a sample of cells from your body so that it can be tested in a laboratory. You may undergo a biopsy if you're experiencing certain signs and symptoms or if your health care provider has identified an area of concern.

The nonmetallic, radiolucent BlackArmor® material developed by icotec has been successfully implanted for 20 years. Its radiolucency improves postoperative imaging compared to titanium implants, making it the ideal material for the treatment of spine tumor patients alongside the whole patient journey from surgery to radiation therapy and follow-up care.

A PET bone scan is an imaging test that uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body. F18 fluoride is the tracer that will be used for your bone scan. PET F18 fluoride bone scans are done most often to detect metastatic bone disease (cancer that has spread from an organ to the bone).

Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous (benign). Cancerous tumors spread into, or invade, nearby tissues and can travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis). Cancerous tumors may also be called malignant tumors.

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent (which almost always involves combinations of drugs), or it may aim to prolong life or to reduce symptoms (palliative chemotherapy).

Chordomas are tumors that can occur anywhere within the spine or the base of the skull. The two most common locations for chordomas are the lower back (sacral area — approximately one-third to one-half of chordomas) and the base of the skull (approximately one-third of chordomas).

A CT scan, also known as computed tomography scan, is a medical imaging technique used in radiology (X-ray) to obtain detailed internal images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or radiology technologists.

A hemangioma or haemangioma is a usually benign vascular tumor derived from blood vessel cell types. A hemangioma can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly appears on the face, scalp, chest, or back.

Hormone therapy is used to treat cancers that use hormones to grow, such as some prostate and breast cancers. Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that slows or stops the growth of cancer that uses hormones to grow. Hormone therapy is also called hormonal therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy.

Immunotherapy or biological therapy is the treatment of disease by activating or suppressing the immune system. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies, while immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are classified as suppression immunotherapies.

Malignant tumors have cells that grow uncontrollably and spread locally and/or to distant sites. Malignant tumors are cancerous (i.e. they invade other sites). They spread to distant sites via the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. This spread is called metastasis. Metastasis can occur anywhere in the body and most commonly is found in the liver, lungs, brain, and bone.

A doctor who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancer in adults using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy. A medical oncologist often is the main health care provider for someone who has cancer. A medical oncologist also gives supportive care and may coordinate treatment given by other specialists.